SYLVIANE NUCCIO

Why Writing For Peanuts When You Could Write For Big Buck?

June 4, 2012 Business, Internet Marketing

Once in a while, I receive a message from my contact page from someone asking me how much I would charge for writing articles for them.  Usually, when I receive this type of message, no matter what my answer might be, it’s too much for that potential client.

The reason why this is the case is because people want you to write their articles for peanuts.  Recently, someone who asked me about writing articles for him told me that he gets articles for $1.50 to $2.00 a piece from writers in the Philippines.  I replied to him that it was fine, but that “I” wasn’t the Salvation Army and just couldn’t help him writing articles for that price.

Most people looking for writers want to pay you peanuts

Most of the times, whoever is trying to find a writer for their blog or article marketing is trying to find the cheapest possible deal.  What this means for you, the writer, is that you are not going to make any real money out of such deals.  Frankly, it’s not even worth opening your word document for anything that “doesn’t pay”.

What about Ads Looking for Writers?

Ads that you will find on Craigslist or any other advertisement platforms of the kind are usually looking for writers at low employee-like rate.

Even though those may pay a more than $2 or $3 per article it won’t usually get past the $10-$15 mark.  At this rate, it means that you would have to write over a dozen articles a day to make a still rather low employee rate salary and that includes research.  Not exactly a day at the beach, is it?

Who is Really Paying you, Big Buck, to Write Articles for them?

Well, that’s a great question, isn’t it? Who is going to pay you more money for your writing talents?  Are you ready for the answer?

People who would actually pay you the big buck for your articles are the ones who do not advertise.  Yes, that’s right.  There are plenty of blog owners and other companies that need content for their blogs, online magazines or even hardcopy magazines that actually don’t advertise for it.

Why do they not advertise you might ask?  Because either they are approached by writers or they do not think about advertising for content.  Does it seem weird that they wouldn’t advertise if they do need writers? Well, you would be surprised.

You can find such potential clients by browsing sites like Flippa.com, acquisitionsdirect.com, dealasite.com, websitebroker.com or flipfilter.com, to name a few.

You may also want to look into the magazine industry and pitch them.  Before you do so, however, you should get a Writer’s Market Guide to get a list of magazines and editors that you can contact.  When contacting them, you need to create top-notch pitches that are intriguing, original as well as relevant to their topics as possible.  Your pitch doesn’t need to be long, but it needs to be catchy.

What is the Catch with High Paying Writing Jobs?

Now, why are those people willing to give you more money for your work than individuals looking for writers?  Is there a catch?  Well, yes and no.  Let me explain.

The catch with those companies that are willing to pay you way more money for your work is the following.

1-      You need to be able to write interesting out of this world pitch

2-      You need to be a good to excellent writer

Like anything else in life, the more money you expect the higher quality you need to provide.  Needless to say that not only you need to master the English language, but you need to be original and creative.

Another thing that you need to be aware of when writing for high standard clients is their content style.  There is a difference between writing for your own blog and writing for clients.  On your own blog you are 100% free to write as you wish, on other people’s blogs and sites, however, you need to follow their own rules.

For example, I have a new technology-site client that require the articles to be written like newspaper style with very specific rules such as what type of sources that should be linked to the article; numbers above 10 needs to be written alphabetically; when referring to companies, the word “it” and not “they” should be used, etc.  It’s their site; therefore, they have their own rules.  I’m sure that if you own a blog and welcome guest posts you have your own rules as well, don’t you?

Where Else can you Find Good Writing Gigs that Pay Big Buck?

Besides what was said above, there are good writer’s sites out there that can provide good writing gigs.  To find them you have to do some research and see which ones work for you or not.  Of course, it goes without saying that those sites are looking for good and experienced writers.  If you are one of them, you can check sites such as FreelanceWriting.com, freelancewritinggigs.com, demandstudios.com, and freelancewritersden.com to name just a few.  Be aware that some of those writers’ platforms require a monthly fee, but if you are at that level in your writing career it’s totally worth it.

OK, that’s all nice and well, but what about if you don’t have the kind of experience needed to write through those sites?  What should you do? If that’s your case, you need to build your writing experience.  This subject is going to be the theme of an upcoming article.

In the meantime, please, leave your feedback below!

 

Photobucket

30 thoughts on “Why Writing For Peanuts When You Could Write For Big Buck?”

  1. I think the only time I’ve ever come across sites that hire out their services for writing articles Sylviane were on article writing sites. I think their services started pretty low all the way up to $25 an article for more high quality content.

    I think if you can afford to pay for your content then you definitely need to hire someone that will write you quality stuff. This is your reputation we’re talking about. I would consider eventually hiring people to write articles for me but never my blog posts. I don’t think I’ll ever give that up.

    Glad I’m not a copywriter. That sounds like way too much work.

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne invites you to read..How To Get Traffic To Your BlogMy Profile

    1. Hi Adrienne,

      I’m like you. I would never want someone else write for my blog except guest bloggers 🙂

      Usually people hiring for blogs are people who are not “emotionally attached” to their blog(s) which is not our case, right?

      Big companies do pay big buck for articles and they are the only ones worth the effort, really, but not for beginners.

      Ahahah, I am sure you don’t want to be a freelance writer, do you? Only crazy people like us like this 🙂

  2. Ohw Sylviane, you got me waiting for your upcoming article 😉 I can’t wait to read it. I’m not writing for other sites (But I know you are pretty good at it), but love to learn how it all happens and how to do. I have few friends who interested in writing pro articles, so I’m gonna invite ’em here.

    I wonder when it comes to writing articles, can you solely depend on it dear? I mean as a profession. Competition is high and not easy to survive if you haven’t got proving experiences. right? 🙂

    Have a great week Sylviane 🙂

    Cheers…
    Mayura invites you to read..How to Create an Online Support Community with Get SatisfactionMy Profile

    1. Hi Mayura,

      Well, thank you for waiting for my post and I apologize this one came later in the day.

      You certainly make a lot of money writing for others. Yes you can make a good leaving doing it. However, it doesn’t happen over night. It takes time and practice and of course persistence as a beginner.

      Yes, please, refer this post to your friends and I may be able to answer questions they may have.

      Thanks for your feedbacks, Mayura 🙂

  3. Really interesting post, Sylviane. Writing for hire is an excellent way to supplement your income when you’re first getting started online.

    I know that one way to write for hire is to do review blog posts if you have a credible and well-seasoned blog. But you can’t really do that too often without commercializing your brand and your blog. Also, it doesn’t really bring in a great deal of revenue.

    I’ve done a lot of academic writing over the years, mostly on assignment basis. You can earn a great income doing that, but academic publishers are a tough breed, and deadlines are usually quite stringent.

    You’re right though, that the bet jobs are usually not advertised. I made a habit of connecting regularly with academic in-house editors in order to know what projects were coming up, and which ones would be good for me to “bid” on.

    Online sources are the same, and telephone calls are probably a much better contact source than emails and registration forms, if you can database them.

    1. Hi David,

      Being a freelance writer is not what I would call easy. It takes work and as you mentioned sometimes clients can be tough and deadlines need to be met. I do know quite a few people who do make very, very good money writing though. Some to the level that they are hiring people and formed a company.

      Writing is just one more way to make money online. Not the best for all, but for some of us is our main stream of income.

      Thanks for coming by, David. Always appreciated.

      1. In reply to my “better half” lol, I must say that I’m pretty lucky. David edits all my stuff. I guess I knew what I was doing when I married him he he.

        However, even though David is a professional writer, he does not have any time to write for me. Hence, I am currently hiring a person to gather information for me and write it on specific topics for a book in the making.
        If all goes well, all I have to do is put it in my own words, add my own edge, and the product will be completed.
        Thanks Sylvaine for bringing up this topic.
        Donna
        Donna Merrill invites you to read..Why Is Building Relationships Super Important?My Profile

        1. Ah, I’ve got the Merrill family completed here 🙂

          Good for you to have someone who can correct your mistakes, I do not have such luck, but at the same time it really pushed me to learn how to write in English. No buffer there for me.

          I am sure you are exited about your upcoming new product. I’m sure will know when it’s out 🙂

          Thanks for coming here too along with your husby 🙂

  4. You see, to be successful at article marketing, you need to have the most articles. The more articles that are out there, the more that are available for people to read and the more chances you have they will click through to your affiliate’s website.

    1. I agree to a certain extent. If they’re all crappy articles that aren’t unique, then it won’t do you much good anyway. But yeah, I do agree with you there. It’s simply getting more “stuff” as I like to put it out there.

      1. Thanks for replying for me, Seth.

        Sometimes when I am not sure if the comment is really genuine I need a moment 🙂 It’s just that by the reader’s comment I can tell who read the post and who did LOL!

  5. Hey Sylviane, I don’t know if you read one of my messages that I sent you once but there’s actually excellent guest blogging platforms that’ll pay you $50 to $75 to even as high as $100 for every guest blog post you make. Then for some, you might even be able to become a full time writer for them. With your talents, I’m sure you’d be able to do that if you put in the work for it. Steve @ Ivetriedthat actually posted about this from before, but some of the big sites you can do are:
    – http://beta.fool.com/join/
    – http://thekrazycouponlady.com/get-paid-as-a-kcl-contributor/
    – http://freelanceswitch.com/blog/contribute/
    – http://www.onespoonatatime.com/guest-posts-wanted-50-per-post
    – http://writersweekly.com/misc/guidelines.php
    – http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/write.htm
    – http://www.socialmoms.com/my-socialmoms-rewards-loyalty-program/
    – http://www.sparkpeople.com/
    – http://rocksolidfinance.com/ask-david/guest_bloggers/
    & then my favorite one….
    * http://www.thetechlabs.com/become-an-author/

    There’s seriously A LOT of ways you can make money online, and for a high price for guest blogging. You don’t even have to setup your own site to do it, even though that’s what I enjoy doing & would rather do over working for somebody else. My favorite site I gave is probably the only place I might spend a little extra time & do.

    & to add to what you’re saying, I agree. If people want others to write for them, they need to be ready to pay at least $10 an article I say. Some people just need to grow up & smell the roses.

  6. You make a very good point, Sylviane.
    Many people want to get things more done, with less spending!

    Another important fact is the quality of the article. I can’t imagine what the $2 article will hold! 400 words of nothing useful?!
    From a hiring perspective, you have to hold on to the reputation of your business or blog. Everything a person publishes under his/her name it an small part of that reputation!
    From a freelances perspective, it can sometimes be temping say yes to those $2 when we don’t have anything else around the corner. Some people are fairly desperate even to collect a few peanuts. Their life and family may depend on it.
    By all means if it doesn’t, then I would advice anyone to hold out on any such offer and wait till you get the “value” you deserve, or well respected enough to be paid..
    Shamelle invites you to read..How To Turn Blog Readers Into Raving Fans Who Happily Spread The Word About Your Blog ContentMy Profile

    1. Hi Shamelle, and welcome here 🙂

      You are totally making sense. If your lunch depends on that article, then by all mean do it. If not, than you are shooting yourself in the foot. And do I know that, because it used to be me.

      Thanks for your feedbacks, Shamelle.

  7. $2 per article!!!! You know what I would have said to that person? I would’ve told him to go get his articles written in the Philippines! If he was so happy with that arrangement, why did he contact you, hm? Even $25 per article is ridiculous. Even if you could write an article in a half hour IF you could write non-stop (which is still pushing your luck if you want something of good quality) you’d still max out at $50 an hour which isn’t enough to run a business on.

    I don’t know about you but I could spend 2, 3 or 4 hours or more on one blog post, especially if I need to do some research. Now if you have to write for someone else’s business that you aren’t familiar with, and you have to learn it and research so you can write well, that’s worth a lot more than $2 or $25.

    Getting a good copywriting job is one of the hardest things to do because people simply don’t put value on it. So you have to find those companies that respect and value good writing. It’s hard but possible. Otherwise you have to really practice your value statement and make sure that you clearly convey that to people who ask for writing and think they’re going to get it for peanuts. Maybe you could convince them if they understand how much time, skill and effort goes into it. But I doubt that you’ll ever convince the price shoppers. So don’t even try.
    Carol Lynn invites you to read..Headlines: The One Thing They Must Do And A Few Simple Things You Can Do To Make That One Thing HappenMy Profile

    1. Hi Carol,

      Ah, I see the writer in this comment. You are so right with everything you said here.

      The problem with people asking for the job “the client” is that they don’t understand that even though you may be able to write fast, the work also include research and editing. For me those two things take more time than the writing itself.

      Thankfully, big companies tend to understand this much better.

      Thanks for those excellent feedbacks, Carol 🙂

  8. Great post, Sylviane! It is always shocking to me some of the payments that some people argue. I remember applying for a data entry processing program a few years ago, and it was less than a dollar an hour! Needless to say, I had no desire to waste my time in such a way. Thanks for showing us that there are those who are willing to pay good money for good content!
    Steve Nicholas invites you to read..WIP and The Power of InnovationMy Profile

    1. Hey Steve,

      Wow, less than a dollar an hour, hum, so that literally for pennies, right? 🙂
      Some people really don’t value the work of others I guess. Thankfully some do value such work and are willingly paying big buck 🙂

      Thanks for coming by, and have a great week end.

    1. Hi Farouk,

      Thanks for coming by this blog. Hope you’re doing well 🙂

  10. I hear your points on this Sylviane but I also know that there are a lot of writers in the USA that will write for $3 per blog post. I don’t think people are necessarily not seeing the value a good writer can offer, I think it is an economic thing especially for those online business owners and marketers that don’t have the budget, yet.

    But those ‘peanuts’ can turn into owning the peanut butter company! I have been using the same writer for years. She is wonderful. She only charges me $4 per blog post and $8 per article (I have 5 blogs, besides my main blog that I write my own material). She told me the other day that she would rather have 10 clients like me where she knows the kind of writing I’m looking for, than writing for people that don’t appreciate her work. Sometimes it may not be just about the money, but about building that life long client.

    Just looking at it from a different angle, but in no disrespect to you or the other amazing writers out there.
    Lynn Brown invites you to read..Growing Your Business By Avoiding These 5 MistakesMy Profile

    1. Hi Lynn,

      I totally understand. I have in the past accepted rather low pay,sometimes, with the promise made to me that it was going to be a long relationship. More times than not, it wasn’t because people just talk with no back bone.

      The last time that happened to me it was only 2 years ago. The client told me this was going to be a long relationship, blabla, but he eventually fell of the wagon. So, after him I told myself NO MORE. I am not going to fall for this again.

      I actually do writer for a rather low pay company. When I say low it’s $10 per piece, but they are consistent and always happy with my stuff, and always need work done.

      So, it really depends on the circumstances and I understand your writer. You are an excellent client for her, for sure.

      Thanks for your feedback, Lynn 🙂

  11. Hey Sylviane,

    I have considered the option of freelance writing and making some money out of it. But, each time I try to find some good clients, I just come upon these peanut payers. So, I have decided to not to that option.

    But, you have showed me some great resources to find good clients. I might reconsider the idea of freelance writing.

    The problem with people paying cheap is that many are asking for a cheap salary for the job (And the quality of these articles are just useless, but these peanut payers don’t realize that – either they don’t or they are just ignoring it).

    Anyways, awesome article,

    Thank you for sharing,

    Jeevan

    P.S: By the way, I am participating in a guest posting contest. I have linked my entry in comment luv. Would you please check it and share/comment, if you have time? Thank you Sylviane!
    Jeevanjacobjohn invites you to read..Do You Care About Your Customers? Customer Centric ApproachMy Profile

  13. Hey Sylviane,

    Thanks for mentioning the resources. I recently got an offer to write a 500 word piece for 4 dollars because “that is the rate”. Well, sadly I had to say no.

    It is tough when people feel they can take you for granted. The catch is that once you say yes, there is no turning back. Its like downhill from there. The problem is that writers from other countries convert the dollars into their local currency and that number seems huge to them. And thus, falling into the trap!

    I hope writers are much more appreciated and it actually is a well paying job!
    Hajra invites you to read..Save Your Blog From ZombificationMy Profile

    1. Hi Hajra,

      Welcome back 🙂 long time no see.

      Well, I am so glad you refused to write a 500 word article for five bucks. What, the price of a Starbucks coffee for spending at least an hour researching and writing!. No way! Those people have to be kidding us 🙂

      Glad you’re back Hajra and see you around at your blog as well 🙂

  14. Good day to you Sylviane,

    I have just been introduced to yourself through one of your readers a Mr Seth Layton.

    This article caught my eye especially when I have just finished writing an article for the dreadfully low price of $5. As I live in the UK that equates to even less than a fiverr. I think from my spelling mistake there you will see where that “gig” came from. With that said I shall not be returning back there as I fear that if I do so, I only help to stop writers being paid the correct amount for their skill set.

    I am relatively new to the writing market and to be honest at my age is a brand new career turn.
    One to which I embrace with open arms, a charming smile and a twinkle in one’s eye that I hope to convey through my writing ability, which in turn I hope will brighten one’s day, what do you say, do you think I will make enough bucks to pay my way?

    As mentioned previously great article and I am grateful for Seth for passing your blog my way.

    All the best and shall be back for some more.

    All the best Jason.
    jason invites you to read..Hello world!My Profile

    1. Hi Jason,

      Welcome here and I am so glad you were introduced by Seth. Hope to see you here again. I write a new post every Monday on this blog 🙂

      You are totally right when you say that accepting to write for a low price brings the whole business down for all of us. Bad thing to do. I know it can be tempted, but we pay for it later if we do take such jobs.

      Thank you for your feedbacks, Jason 🙂

Comments are closed.